Are You Running the Race to Win the Prize?

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Perseverance Press on toward the goal[The following is a guest post by Ani Ma'amin. Ani is a blogger for Calvary Chapel South Bay's WISE Blog.]

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 3:14

The Meaning of Perseverance for a Christian

When people read this scripture, they naturally interpret press on as to move ahead with earnest, and they would be correct. But press on also means to progress, and to grow as an individual in Christ Jesus. Yes, we press on, and, in the process, we progress in our walk with the Lord and we grow as Christians.

It’s the five P’s of Philippians: Press (on), Progress, Patience, Persevere, and (the) Prize.

Do you have the patience to persevere? To press on? To progress? To grow? To go after that prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus?

Another ‘P’–Procrastination

There was a time I didn’t. I had the endurance of a dead horse. It’s easy to exhort others when you’re laying on the sofa. Getting in the Word or the trenches is another story. I thought a lot about accomplishing goals that never got off the drawing board. I finally got it … there’s an ocean of separation between thinking and doing.

My mother, bless her heart, would scold me, saying, “Ani, you will never amount to anything, because all you do is procrastinate.”

And I would always reply, “Just wait.”

This race is a marathon, it is not a sprint. Press on daily and you will grow daily.

A Baseball Players Story

Let me give you a personal example of perseverance because it’s a good exhortation for pressing on with earnest. It’s the story of a high school kid who played on a baseball travel team with my son for several years in Southern California.

He was the shortest guy on the ball club, but he had the biggest heart, the most talent, and the most positive attitude. He never showed up and said, “I don’t feel like growing as a baseball player today.”

He could hit, play defense, and even pitch. He was solid. And every game he learned from his mistakes and grew as a player. But no matter how good he was, he just didn’t fit the “big and fast” mold that Major League scouts look for. Even the NCAA stats were against him. No matter what his size:

Only one in 200, or roughly 0.5 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic baseball will ever get drafted by an MLB team.

That’s a daunting statistic. But it didn’t daunt him. It didn’t deter him from “pressing on” toward his goal. Because of his small stature, he worked harder, never giving up on his dream to one day play on a Major League Baseball team. In college, he set various hitting records and excelled with his glove at shortstop. It was hard to overlook his determination on the field and perseverance in life. Scouts were forced to take notice of “the little guy who could do everything.”

Finally, he got the call. He had been drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. Today he is in their farm system “pressing on” toward his goal of playing on that big league team. Our young friend never gave up. His eyes were fixed on a goal, with an unwavering determination.

Perseverance and You

As Christians, can we say the same? What is your goal? What does the Apostle Paul mean when he exhorts us to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me…”

To me it means doing the will of God in our daily lives, not allowing the devil to beat us down with obstacles and distractions that take our eyes off Jesus. Our prize awaits us in heaven. Who among us wouldn’t want to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”?:

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”  -Matthew 25:21

Are we running this daily race to win the prize, or to be mediocre, settling for being less than what God wants us to be?

That is what the Apostle Paul is warning us about. Press on! Go after God with an earnest heart. Grow in the Lord as you do His will. Run the race for His Glory. Run the race to win the prize of a “job well done.” Don’t settle for a mediocre Christian life.

Paul had a goal. He pressed on doing the will of Jesus, spreading the Good News, and he wasn’t going to let any obstacles get in his way. Not mobs, not trials, not prison, not shipwrecks, not plots against his life, not even getting bit by a viper. His eyes were fixed on the prize. His eyes were on doing the will of God. We have up days and down days, on-fire days and blah days. But what God started in us He will finish, so take heart.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” -Philippians 1:6

You don’t have to tell me some days are tougher than others. It’s not easy to pick up your cross and follow, as Jesus said. Stay steadfast like Paul to reach your reward.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” -James 1:12

You can do it! It’s a race you have been called to run.

There are no 2nd Place awards for running the race halfhearted and almost finishing.

There are no 3rd Place trophies for sort of trying and giving up when the going got tough.

There is only 1st Place, and those who finish will be in the winner’s circle, with Jesus.

Run the race for His Glory. Your prize awaits you.

[Image via greenshock - Creative Commons]

NOTES:

If you’re interested, you can hear a podcast on The Five Ps of Philippians by Louie Cruzado of Calvary Chapel, Aurora, Colorado.

A Plague of Flies of Biblical Proportions (Sort Of)

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Love Like Jesus Day of small things

A Plague of Flies of Biblical Proportions (Sort Of)

Ah Friday. Friday is writing day around here, and it’s Friday at last. Friday is the one day of the week everyone is supposed to leave me alone,

to write.

So I rolled out of bed thinking I was headed for the laptop until enough fog cleared from my head, for me to remember, Kathy is out of town. She’s in Portland with a mom, two daughters, and a sister, doing some kind of a women’s thing. A spa thing, I think they said. I’m not sure what that entails but I think I heard the words “many petting” in there somewhere, so my thought is, it involves zoo animals somehow.

Anyway, that means I had to cover for Kathy at one of her jobs. Among her many other activities, she manages the pool and recreational facilities at our townhouse complex. (She’s always doing something productive or helpful.) So off I go to the pool. “No big deal,” I think to myself. “Just a quick chemical check, and I’m off to my office.” But when I arrived, I found a surprise. Continue reading →

Love Like Jesus–A Baby’s Skull Removed: Matthew 14:35-36

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Love Like Jesus Healing

The edge of his cloak

People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. -Matthew 14:35-36

How Jesus Loved People

People from all around brought their sick to Jesus, and every one who touched the edge of his cloak was healed.

I did a search on the definition of a cloak, and this was the first thing that came up: An outdoor overgarment, typically sleeveless, that hangs from the shoulders.

That confirmed what I already suspected,

I don’t even own a cloak.

And if I did, anyone who touched it wouldn’t be healed.

In contrast to an average Joe like me, Jesus healed all manner of sickness. He healed lepers (once he healed ten at a time), paralytics, people with withered hands, bleeding women, blind men, dying children, and epileptics. He healed deaf men, women with fevers, and he reattached severed body parts. He even raised people from the dead.

Jesus favored healing people by touching them. Occasionally he healed remotely, by just saying it would happen, it happened. He preferred to heal instantaneously, as opposed to progressively. He liked to heal totally and completely, as opposed to partial healing.

Jesus loved people–by healing them.

How to Love Like Jesus–A Baby’s Skull Removed

My wife Kathy Continue reading →

Love Like Jesus–A Church Feeds Four Thousand: Matthew 15:32

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Love Like Jesus Feed the HungryA Church Feeds Four Thousand

My church is located pretty much in the middle of nowhere. If you want to see just how remote it is, you can look at it on a Google map here. It’s in a very beautiful part of God’s creation, and a very beautiful thing happens there every Sunday. See, even though this church is in the middle of nowhere, thousands go there to worship. And in the summer, after service, my church feeds people. I mean like, sometimes, a thousand people. (So times 4, that makes 4,000–a month, hence the subtitle) And they do it for free! Can you believe it? And no, that’s not why thousands go there. Attendance was like that before the free lunch. But still, they feed four thousand a month–for free.

How Jesus Loved People Continue reading →

Love Like Jesus–A Storm and a Wedding: Mark 4:37-39

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Love Like Jesus Calm the StormA Storm Hits a Wedding Ceremony

I went to this wedding once where the person who took charge of planning the wedding had a beautiful vision for it. It was going to happen outside and it was going to be done in a very particular way so as to make the setting spectacular. The only thing was, everything was geared for outdoors. The venue was an outdoor venue, so the wedding and reception depended on dry calm weather. And whenever the person who was planning this thing was asked what she would do if it rained, she simply said: It won’t rain.

Well guess what?

A storm came through, and it rained.

And the weather outside wasn’t the only storm happening that day. With no indoor venue or arrangements made whatsoever, the wedding planner just shut down. Panic and pandemonium ensued as the bride, the bride’s mother, and many others frantically attempted to put something together.

Then in stepped these two women who were friends of the bride’s mother. In a very gentle and gracious manner they just sort of, took over. They found a gym they could use at a Christian high school. They figured out how to arrange the outdoor tables and chairs to accommodate the guests, even though the gym was much smaller than expected. They found a place for the caterer to set up. They improvised with the decorations designed for the outdoor venue. They were amazing.

It wasn’t long after these two engaged the problem that the storm subsided and a calm came over the bride and the rest of the wedding party.

How Jesus Loved People

When the disciples took Jesus across the sea of Galilee and the storm came, there was panic and pandemonium. The disciples in the boat were freaking out–because of a storm–so Jesus calmed it.

How to Love Like Jesus

Jesus loved the disciples by calming their storm. You and I can’t command the wind and the waves, but there are other storms we can calm.

Just like Jesus, God has put you in a boat with a group of people. They’re the ones in your family, in your workplace, in your circle of friends. And just like the disciples in the boat, they’ll experience storms. And sometimes, like the two ladies at the wedding, you’ll have the power to calm those storms.

When someone you know is freaked out, maybe you’re just the right person to bring them peace. Maybe their storm is a computer that’s down, or a car that won’t start, or the end of a relationship, or the loss of a job.

You just might be uniquely qualified to calm the wind and the waves.

Jesus calmed the storm for the disciples.

When you see an opportunity to calm someone’s storm, calm it.

Jesus did.

You can too.

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. -Mark 4:37-39

[Image via Green Destiny - Creative Commons]

Love Like Jesus–Even When It’s Less Than Ideal: John 19:26-27

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Mothers Day Love Like Jesus Honor your mother

Mothers Day Meal

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. -John 19:26-27

How Jesus Loved People

They just scourged him. They just pressed the thorny crown into his head. They just made him carry his own cross, as far as he was able, up the hill called the place of the Skull. And he was just crucified, they just nailed him to the cross, I mean, he’s actually hanging there, on the cross, between two criminals. And in the midst of all that, Jesus had the presence of mind to arrange for his mother to be taken care of after his death. (John 19:1-27)

How to Love Like Jesus

I’m guessing your circumstances are better than Jesus’.

Go and honor your mother.

[Image via Andy Ciordia - Creative Commons]

Jesus in the Old Testament (Part 5): Isaiah 53

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Jesus in the Old Testament Isaiah 53

Christ’s wounded hand, Unterlinden Museum, Colmar, France by John Kroll – Creative Commons

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. -Isaiah 53:5-6 (You can read Isaiah 53 in its entirety at the bottom of this post)

Isaiah 53 Written After Jesus’ Death and Resurrection?

Isaiah chapter 53 is so descriptive of Jesus Christ it seems out of place. There’s just no way this should be here. It should come after the New Testament, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, not before. Continue reading →

Jesus in the Old Testament (Part 4): Daniel’s Prophecy

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Jesus in Old Testament Daniel Prophecy

The prophet Daniel from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling.

“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.” -Daniel 9:25-26

This prophecy from Daniel predicts the time when Messiah would present himself–as Messiah–to the nation of Israel. At the time this prophecy was given by Daniel, Jerusalem was in ruins. The “sevens” God speaks of when He says, “seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens’” are seven year periods. So the time frame we’re talking about here is:

Seven times seven years, plus sixty-two times seven years.

or, written in numerals,

7 x 7 years + 62 x 7 years.

Which equals 49 years + 434 years.

Which equals a total of 483 years.

Both the Hebrews and Babylonians of Daniel’s day used a 360 day calendar. So taking that into account, when you multiply the 483 years times 360 days you come up with 173,880 days.

483 years x 360 = 173,880.

Which equals 476+ years on the modern calendar.

Artaxerxes, the Persian emperor, decreed Jerusalem to be restored and rebuilt in the 20th year of his reign, around 444 BC. (Nehemiah 2:1-8) That’s what started the clock for this prophecy.

Do you see where this is headed? The time frame given in the prophecy, 476 years, added to the starting point given in the prophecy, the year in which Jerusalem was ordered to be restored by Artaxerxes, puts us around AD 33. (In case you were wondering, there is no zero year. The calendar goes from 1 BC to 1 AD. That’s why it’s AD 33 instead of AD 32.)

AD 33.

That’s when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey while the people praised him and received him as their king. (Luke 19:28-42) And shortly thereafter Jesus was put to death–fulfilling the prophecy.

Scholars have different opinions about exactly when the 483 years started. But even so, any way you look at it, Daniel’s prophecy is amazing.

Once again we see that Jesus’ words are true.

Once again we find Jesus in the Old Testament.

Just as he said they were, when Moses and the prophets wrote the scriptures–they were writing about Jesus Christ.

“Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” -Jesus Christ, Luke 24:44

You might also like:

[Resources and related articles: John Walvoord, Daniel (The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries), Moody 2012]

[Image via: Missional Volunteer - Creative Commons]

A Matter of Life and Death: The Kingdom of Heaven is Near

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kingdom of heaven is near

“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” -Jesus Christ, Matthew 4:17 (NLT)

Young man: “I just found out my favorite college professor has cancer.”

Old man: “I am so sorry to hear that. You know, I just spoke with my best friend from high school and learned he lost his brother, his mother, his sister-in-law, and his father–all in one year.

Life is so much more fragile than we realize. Life is so much shorter than we recognize. The kingdom of heaven is near.

Turn your heart toward God our Father.

While you still can.”

[Image via mayakamina - Creative Commons]